I have never been to the fashion show, so I do not know to what extent it acknowledges the ultimate reality of many of us with secondary/terminal bc.
However I would like to suggest that this year there is a period of silence and names read out with perhaps photo’s and family as a backdrop. Clearly you would need the permission of family for all those who have died or the permission of those of us who currently live, should the worst happen.
I am not wishing to put a downer on the event but it would be good to inject some reality into it (you may already do something like this), if it is currently missing.
I do not wish to alienate funding from wherever it comes, but i do think it should also come with education
Hi Celeste,
I have not been to the fashion show so like you I don’t know if they have a minute silence or not, but I think it is a very good idea. Not morbid at all it is just a way of showing respect and remembering those whom we have lost to this ugly disease.
Love Debsxxx
Hi Celeste
Thank you for this post. I have forwarded this on to our events team and I am sure they will want to respond to this. Will you keep you posted.
Best wishes
Annabel
On behalf of the Events Team
Hello Celeste
Thank you so much for your comments in regards to the Fashion Show. We whole-heartedly agree with your comments and do believe that The Show does inform and educate about the different experiences of breast cancer as well as providing glamour and excitement for the guests.
Just as an overview - we do include models with primary and secondary breast cancer each year in The Show, and ensure all our models have an opportunity to talk about and share their experiences before the event (through media work) and also on the night through features in our official Fashion Show programme and in video interviews aired during the events proceedings.
We have an organising committee supporting the development of the event, as with everything Breast Cancer Care does this includes people who have had breast cancer. It has been an incredibly poignant year for the Fashion Show team this year as we personally all experienced much pain over the loss of past Fashion Show participants from secondary breast cancer. We had previously discussed the idea of including an acknowledgement in our programme for those models who have passed away over the preceding year so we will certainly put forward your suggestion of a minutes silence to the committee at our next meeting for review.
Thank you again Celeste, it is so lovely for us to receive new ideas for The Show particularly ones that help us to acknowledge and raise awareness of the real experiences of people affected by breast cancer. I do hope that we may see you at The Show soon as a guest!
It’s always possible - when, where and how much?
Hi Celeste
Please see below the link to the Special Events page, specifically the London Fashion Show, below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the team at Breast Cancer Care.
events.breastcancercare.org.uk/server/show/nav.191
Best wishes
Annabel
Hi Celeste .and all…I am honoured to have been selected as one of the models in this years fashion show …for me personally it will be an enormous achievement to walk the catwalk as I have found it very difficult to adjust to my new body image since my mastectomy …but I see it as an opportunity to give something back and let everyone out there know that there is life after Breast cancer …there are other ladies modelling that had it far more difficult than me and I will be so proud to be in their company on the day …we all have a different story to tell with regards to our Breast cancer journey but we all still have one thing in common .The more wareness that is raised the better I am sure that it will be a wonderful and inspiring day and hope that many of you on the forum will be able to attend and celebrate with myself and the other 26 models
cheers Maz xxx
Hi Maz,
hope you all have a wonderful time and that you enjoy your moment.
Love Debsxxx